Security Council Distr.: General 20 February 2007
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United Nations S/2007/97 Security Council Distr.: General 20 February 2007 Original: English Report of the Secretary-General on Chad and the Central African Republic I. Introduction 1. In his report on Chad and the Central African Republic dated 22 December 2006 (S/2006/1019), submitted pursuant to paragraphs 9 (d) and 13 of Security Council resolution 1706 (2006), my predecessor provided an overview of the political, security, humanitarian and human rights situations in both countries and the challenges related to the protection of refugees, internally displaced persons and other civilians in areas near the border with the Sudan. The report also outlined some preliminary options regarding the possible mandate, structure and concept of operations of a multidimensional United Nations presence in both eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic, which would seek to improve the security situation in the areas along the borders between those two countries and the Sudan. 2. The Security Council considered the report during informal consultations held on 10 January 2007. Subsequently, following a meeting held on 16 January 2007, the President of the Security Council issued a statement (S/PRST/2007/2) that took note of the report of 22 December 2006 and authorized the immediate return of the technical assessment mission to the region, in order to finalize recommendations on the size, structure and mandate of a United Nations multidimensional presence. 3. The 2007 presidential statement also requested that I deploy as soon as possible an advance mission to Chad and the Central African Republic, in consultation with their Governments, as envisaged in paragraph 88 of the 22 December 2006 report, in order to accelerate preparations for an early decision on the possible deployment of a multidimensional presence in those countries. 4. The present report reflects the findings of the second multidimensional technical assessment mission, which visited Chad and the Central African Republic from 21 January to 6 February 2007. It also includes a description of the advance mission and detailed proposals for the size, structure and mandate of a United Nations multidimensional presence in the two countries. 07-24207 (E) 220207 *0724207* S/2007/97 II. Update on recent developments A. Chad 5. Since my predecessor’s report of 22 December 2006 was finalized, the situation in Chad has remained volatile and unpredictable. Fighting between the Chadian National Army (ANT) and rebel groups, some of which are reportedly armed and supported by the Sudan, and attacks by militia on the civilian population have continued to destabilize eastern Chad, leading to widespread insecurity and human rights violations, including continued internal displacement of civilian populations. To address the situation, the Government of Chad has maintained a state of emergency in Wadi Fira, Ouaddai and Salamat, the three regions in eastern Chad that border the Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as in N’Djamena. 6. In a positive development, on 24 December 2006, the Government and one faction of the rebel group Front Uni pour le Changement (FUC) signed an agreement in Tripoli that, among other things, called for armed elements of FUC to be integrated into ANT and the Chadian gendarmerie. Despite some difficulties in implementing the agreement, FUC is reportedly being gradually integrated into ANT and the Chadian gendarmerie. However, the agreement was disparaged by other rebel groups, including the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD), the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) and the Platform for Change, National Unity and Democracy, which questioned the military strength of FUC and decided, one day after the agreement was signed, to coordinate their military efforts against the Government. 7. Rebel activity continued throughout December 2006 and January 2007. On 13 January 2007, UFDD attacked and briefly occupied the town of Ounianga Kebir, located in the northern department of Tibesti, more than 350 kilometres west of the border with the Sudan. Then on 17 January 2007, UFDD and RFD combined forces to take the border town of Adé, following the relocation of an ANT garrison from Adé to Goz Beida. ANT regained control of the town on 24 January, following an aerial attack on rebel positions. 8. In continuation of this pattern, on 1 February 2007 UFDD struck again, attacking the eastern town of Adré, which is located on the border with the Sudan, 30 kilometres west of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. Violent fighting ensued in the following days, with ANT maintaining control of the town and pushing the rebels back into the Sudan. Details of the attack were communicated to the Secretary-General in a note verbale dated 1 February 2007 from the Permanent Mission of Chad to the United Nations. Despite these flare-ups, it can be said that the security situation in eastern Chad improved significantly in the second half of January. That was due in part to the successful counteroffensive, which enabled Chadian Government forces to push the rebels back to the immediate border area or, beyond, into Darfur. 9. While violence associated with rebel activities continues, it should be noted that civilians have generally not been targeted by the rebels. Militia attacks, on the other hand, have targeted civilians. Throughout late December and early January, militia groups attacked Chadian villages in the Dar Sila area of the Ouaddai region. In one particularly brutal assault, militia groups attacked Chadian civilians near the 2 07-24207 S/2007/97 town of Koukou Angarana on 15 and 16 December 2006, killing 30, including local residents, internally displaced persons and a few Sudanese refugees who had wandered outside their camps. That was followed on 16 December by heavy fighting between ANT and militia groups around the town of Habilé, which is in the same area, forcing 9,000 internally displaced people who had sought refuge around Habilé to move towards Koukou Angarana; that was the second time they had been forced to flee for their lives. 10. As a direct result of the ongoing violence and the attacks by militias on Chadian populations, the number of internally displaced persons in eastern Chad had risen from an estimated 92,000 in December 2006 to approximately 120,000 by 1 February 2007. Most of this new displacement occurred in the Dar Sila area. Meanwhile, the refugee population for all of eastern Chad has stabilized at around 232,000, of whom 220,000 are hosted in 12 camps supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the remainder living with local communities. 11. The increase in internally displaced persons (IDPs) has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in eastern Chad. Newly displaced persons consistently settle on the periphery of refugee camps and existing towns or villages. Since direct assistance to internally displaced persons has thus far been insufficient, they are relying to some extent on refugees and local populations to share their meagre resources. This often leads to tension when those resources are particularly scarce or valuable, as is the case with firewood, fodder and water. In addition, thousands of items of unexploded ordnance are scattered in the vicinity of several localities, preventing access to those scarce resources. The decision of the Government to allocate $8 million to assist internally displaced persons is a constructive step, which should be complemented by additional international assistance. 12. The response to increased humanitarian needs in eastern Chad is also hampered by the security situation. In view of the continuing instability, relief organizations are required to take precautions, including limiting the number of staff operating in the region, and in some locations permitting them to move only with armed escort, thus making it difficult to ensure the safe provision of much needed assistance. However, contingency planning, including reliance on Chadian staff and the refugees themselves, has thus far prevented any major disruptions in essential services, notably the provision of food aid, health care and sanitation in refugee camps. The security situation has, however, hampered the provision of assistance to the IDPs. B. Central African Republic 13. In the Central African Republic, there has been noteworthy progress on the political front since my predecessor’s report dated 22 December 2006. The President of the Central African Republic agreed to engage in an inclusive dialogue with opposition parties and representatives of the armed rebellion. A Central African civil society group, the Group of the Wise, comprising representatives of all the religions present in the country, the leader of the follow-up committee on the implementation of the results of the 2003 national dialogue and the leader of the national human rights associations, is leading the current dialogue process. The Group is being 07-24207 3 S/2007/97 assisted by the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA). 14. On 28 January 2007, President Francois Bozizé met with the representatives of various rebel groups operating in the Central African Republic in Syrte, Libya, and, on 2 February 2007, the Government of the Central African Republic and those rebel groups signed a peace agreement that provided, inter alia, for the immediate cessation of hostilities. The next step in the dialogue process will be the holding of further consultations and developing agreements for national reconciliation. The conclusive phase of the dialogue is scheduled to be held in the coming months, when it is expected that a comprehensive accord will be signed among all the national stakeholders. 15. Meanwhile, civilian populations have started to return to the towns in the north-east part of the country, which had been occupied by rebels and subsequently recaptured by the forces of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), supported by the subregional multinational force (FOMUC) of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), and the French forces in the Central African Republic.